The drama between the Barrettos and Raymart Santiago has officially reignited — and this time, the actor’s legal team is going on the offensive.
Following Inday Barretto’s fiery interview with Ogie Diaz, where she accused Raymart of being an abusive and manipulative husband to her daughter Claudine, Santiago’s lawyers fired back with a sharp, no-holds-barred statement calling her claims “slanderous, fabricated, and deeply damaging.”
The response, released by Atty. Howard Calleja and Atty. Katrin Jessica Distor-Guinigundo, minced no words: “It is very unfortunate that Mrs. Barretto has chosen to resort to publicity to spread an untruthful and slanderous narrative about our client and his former marriage to Ms. Claudine Barretto.”
Lawyers blast “trial by publicity”
The Santiagos’ legal team accused the Barretto matriarch of reviving old wounds for public sympathy and online attention. “Our client has consistently complied with the law, including the Family Court’s gag order issued in 2023, while Mrs. Barretto and her family have repeatedly sought recourse through trial by publicity,” the lawyers said.
The statement emphasized that Raymart has “kept his peace for the sake of their children” but warned that patience has limits. “Any utterances in contravention of the law will be dealt with before the proper forum. This is a final warning.”
Money, not marriage? The lawyers drop a twist
But the most shocking part of their rebuttal was the insinuation that the renewed Barretto fury may be more about money than marriage. According to the legal team, Inday’s outburst traces back to a “conjugal property sold by Ms. Claudine three years ago without Mr. Santiago’s knowledge or consent.”
“Our client refuses to partake in any dispute involving that transaction or any irregularities Ms. Claudine and her cohorts may have committed,” they added, hinting that this may be a brewing financial war cloaked in emotional drama.
Raymart keeps silent — for now
Raymart himself has stayed mum, reportedly “focused on his family and work.” Friends close to the actor say he’s “hurt but not surprised,” knowing how volatile his ex-wife’s clan can be when provoked.
As of press time, Claudine has not issued a statement about her mother’s claims, though insiders say she’s “monitoring the situation closely.”
The couple, once one of showbiz’s most glamorous pairings, married in 2006 and separated in 2013. Despite a brief reunion in May to celebrate their daughter Sabina’s 20th birthday, it seems peace was only temporary.
Now, with the Santiago camp threatening legal action and the Barretto matriarch standing by her words, one thing’s clear — this decades-old feud isn’t just back. It’s explosive.
And in the world of showbiz scandals, nothing burns hotter than a Barretto family war.